Skeeboard automatic

ABSTRACT

A user controlled power assisted device to automate snowboard and wideboard recreational snow devices to make turning easier and more consistent for the user, while viewing the line of travel straight ahead instead of the conventional sideways view.The user simply presses one foot or the other down to enable the proper edging to effect the desired turn. The user&#39;s foot pressing rotates the control shaft, which electronically communicates via the pot, motor controller, battery, and motor. The motor then proportionally rotates the drive shaft accordingly to rotate the device longitudinally which provides proper edging to effect the desired turn. The motor rotates around the control shaft to reduce torque backpressure on the board.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Snowboards and monoskis use a variety of boots and bindings to accomplish traveling down the snow covered slope for recreation or travel, each trying to tweak turning ability and body orientation on the wide board. They are mounted on the longitudinal axis in line with the with the user's feet lashed in and the user's body orientation is facing sideways to the line of travel or nearly sideways, with the head turned toward one's shoulder or the other to be able to view the direction of travel.

In addition, the in line orientation of the legs and feet on the wide board make for an unstable user's balancing ability. An illustration of this unstable orientation would never work for other sports such as football, golf, tennis, or martial arts as they all require stable balancing, recovery, and strength during their use, much the same as conventional snow skiing. These sports require wider stances, and the need to face directly at the action at hand or line of travel. The in line, traveling down the hill sideways stance feels cumbersome and unnatural.

In addition, the current art makes it more difficult for beginners to learn the sport due to a steep learning curve of this unstable balancing and low view issue of having to travel down the hill in a sideways orientation, limiting the forward view to 180 degrees only to either side of the user instead of 180 degrees directly toward the line of travel if they were in a forward looking orientation. This difficulty also limits the continued interest of beginners in trying to learn the sport.

The weight of the average wide board, including the board, bindings, and boots can exceed 15 pounds partly due to the heavy materials used. As in most sports, the heavier the product, the less responsive and performing the product can be. Light weight is a good trait in athletics. And some users weigh less than 100 pounds so they have a hard time manipulating the board during use and even carrying the board.

All users enjoy the lighter weight to travel down the bill and it's safer in the case of body collision during a fall with the lower mass. It's a pleasant experience to transport the board after using it when it weighs a fraction of conventional boards. At the end of the day the user is often cold and tired and will enjoy the ease of transport.

Operation

The operation of the first embodiment is as further described:

FIG. 3 and FIG. 8 shows a view of this embodiment. As the user mounts the transversely mounted lever, he secures the boots into the bindings.

Then as the user is gliding down the terrain directly facing his line of travel, the speed and direction is changed either stepping on the right or left foot as desired, to make a left turn or right turn, respectively. His feet are situated on the lever the width of his shoulders and provide lateral stability to the user. Backward and forward stability is attained by simply adjusting the feet forward or backward.

Stepping on the right foot will create a left turn, and now the right foot is the downhill foot. The left edge of the board digs into the surface and carves the left turn. As the user steps down with the right foot on the lever, the control shaft rotates clockwise, turning the sprocket, and the connected potentiometer, communicating with the motor controller and the battery power assisted motor turns the drive shaft counter clockwise from the back of the board view.

Another advantageous feature of this embodiment is to provide lateral balancing stability for the user. Many sports rely on strength and stability to perform at the highest standards, such as martial arts, and this embodiment takes advantage of that characteristic providing the lateral stability.

Another advantage of this embodiment is the ease in making turns. As the user presses down with one foot or another, that foot becomes the downhill foot, the edges automatically digging into the snow are the uphill edges, and the turn is readily accomplished. The user simply needs to provide a balance over the center of gravity of the board. And then to turn the opposite direction, the user eases up like a piston, pushes down on the opposite foot and reverses the turn. That foot becomes the downhill foot and the opposite edges are the uphill edges digging into the snow.

Another advantage of this embodiment is to mount the aforementioned electromechanical device on an ultra light weight board composed of state of the art materials made strong and light in weight such as carbon fiber and foam construction. The present embodiment board weighs 3 pounds, about one fifth the amount of conventional boards making it ideal for performance, transportation, and storage.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The advantages of the present invention as shown and described in the various embodiments make them apparent to overcoming the disadvantages of the prior art as well as other disadvantages known to those skilled in the art.

To this end, by using a power assisted user operated lever associated with the transmission and associated electronic devices the user has a more pleasant recreational experience. In addition the transverse lever provides a more stable balancing effect and enables the user to face the direct line of travel instead of the conventional sideways and unorthodox viewing of the line of travel. The user now has a 180 degree view of their direction versus a 90 degree view conventionally.

One feature of the user controlled power assisted lever is automating the turns and lessening the learning curve of making turns. As the user presses down with one foot or another on the lever to make a turn, it rotates the control shaft, which actuates the potentiometer, motor controller, and then the motor proportionally rotates the drive shaft, which rotates the board longitudinally to effect the edging.

As with the opposite turning direction, the user steps down on the lever with the left foot rotating the control shaft counter clockwise, And by way of the sprocket and potentiometer, the motor controller directs the drive shaft rotation clockwise, and the left foot now is the downhill foot and the board rotates in a clockwise motion with the uphill edges digging into the terrain and making the right hand turn.

The sprocket is connected to the gears on the potentiometer by way of a chain, and electronically the potentiometer sends the appropriate signal to the motor controller for direction and speed changes.

This embodiment shows optional coiled springs to create a tension on lever motion to alleviate freewheeling of the lever.

The motor is mounted to the control shaft and is free to rotate around as the shaft being the center of rotation. This design helps alleviate motor shaft counter rotation of the board if the motor was attached directly to the board. The counter rotation could reduce the shaft rotation effect on the board during turns.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 6 is a perspective view to an embodiment of the present invention

FIG. 3 is a view of the lever mounted on the wide board

FIG. 2 is a top view of this embodiment

FIG. 1 is a view of the motor support

FIG. 8 is a view of the lever, binding, and skidder

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described, in detail on the basis of a preferred embodiment while referring to the accompanying drawings appropriately.

FIG. 6 shows a view of the first embodiment where end support brackets 6 and 15 are fastened on base plate 3 and support the keyed control shaft 9 and the keyed drive shaft 7 and the associated parts. Each end support bracket is affixed to base 3 with thru bolts, 15 and 26 seen on FIG. 6. The keyed shafts 7 and 9 move on sleeve bearings located in the ports of the end support brackets. Shaft clamping collars 29 and 17 prevent the shafts from moving horizontally. Motor 2 is supported to the keyed control shaft 9 and the motor keyed drive shaft is connected to the keyed drive shaft 7 by way of the keyed lovejoy fitting 5. Shaft connector 4 connects the motor 2 to the keyed control shaft 9. Base mounted shaft support brackets 28 are attached to the keyed control shaft 9 and are affixed with machine keys in the control keyed shaft 9. Base mounted shaft support bracket bolts 20, 21, 18 and 50 secures the lever shown in FIG. 8. Base mounted shaft support brackets 8, 10 on the keyed drive shaft 7 are affixed with machine keys in the keyed drive shaft 7. Roller chain sprocket 27 is attached to keyed control shaft 9. Chain 14 connects the roller chain sprocket 27 with the potentiometer gear 13. Potentiometer gear 13 is connected to the Potentiometer 12. Bracket 11 supports the potentiometer. Torsion spring 30, runs through end support bracket 15 and the other end 23 is secured on shaft support bracket 43 as on FIG. 2. The continuation of electronic wires 16 are shown on FIG. 2. Motor protector gear plate 1 is situated between the motor 2 and base plate 3.

FIG. 2 shows an improved view of the chain 14 connecting with the potentiometer gear 13. Torsion springs 22 are connected between the base mounted shaft support brackets 43, 28 and the respective end brackets 15, 6. Electronic wires connect the potentiometer 12 with the motor controller 19 and on to the battery 61, and terminating at the motor 2.

FIG. 1 shows the motor 2 supported on the keyed control shaft 9. Motor 2 supports 24 and 74 are connected and support 74 fits over keyed control shaft 9 and over sleeve bearing 71 and held onto the shaft with shaft clamping collar 72. Shaft clamping collar 73 is on the other side of support 74 and attached to keyed control shaft 9.

FIG. 8 shows the lever 67, binding 68, and skidder 66. The lever mounts on keyed control shaft 9 and affixed with the base mounted shaft support brackets support bolts 20, 21, 18, 50 on FIG. 6 and is flush with the base mounted shaft support brackets 28.

FIG. 3 shows the lever 67 mounted on the wide board. The skidders 66 are attached to the underside of the lever. The boot bindings 68 are attached to the top of the lever 67. 

What I claim is:
 1. A wideboard turning apparatus comprising a user foot powered lever transversely mounted to a control shaft, power assisted. a. a lever that enables the user to stand on and control the direction of turns by pressing one foot or another down. b. enables lateral stability of the user
 2. A drive shaft, the rotational direction dictated by the user pressing one foot or another down on the control shaft and controlled with a power assist, potentiometer, motor controller, battery, and motor. a. When rotated turns the board longitudinally for proportional edging to effect turns.
 3. A motor mount that rotates around the control shaft thus negating some effects of reverse torque on the board.
 4. An ultra light weight board comprised of carbon fiber and a core for composite structure.
 5. A skidder that has upward sloping edges and maintains the lever remaining above the ambient ground surface and is attached to the lever or is an integral part of the lever. 